4019
players came to Wyandotte, Oklahoma last weekend for the 10th Anniversary
Oklahoma D-Day scenario game. The players were divided between the
Allied and German sides at a 5-4 ratio. Players were joined by 31
tanks, including Heath Riley’s life-size Tiger tank replica. Over
the last 9 years, the Germans have led the Allies 5-4, so this year it
was up to the “good guys” to tie up the score.

Friday night the field hosted a massive
parade featuring all of the units and vehicles that were to fight it out
the next day. Many players wore period uniforms for the event, and
the whole procession was accompanied by authentic 40’s music and the bagpipes
of the Commonwealth troops.

Saturday
morning troops started grouping at their landing beaches and fortifications
as early as 6am. Shortly after 9am, a hail of gunfire signaled the
start of the 2007 D-Day game. 2300 Allied troops stormed Utah, Omaha,
and Sword Beaches, and “parachuted” in behind German lines with the 101st
and 82nd Airborne. They faced 1700 Germans who were dug in all over
the 710 acre battlefield. For a while, German defenses held fast,
until tank support and overwhelming numbers allowed American troops to
seize Utah Beach. Shortly after that, the U.S. 1st Infantry Division
stormed Omaha beach, putting the Germans on the run. German morale
never really recovered, and eventually the Allied troops managed to overrun
the German headquarters.

The
final tally was 2515-1259 for the Allies, a welcome relief after their
defeat last year. The event ran very smoothly despite severe storms
on Thursday night and 90 degree heat. The event promoter, Dewayne
Convirs, had local EMTs on hand all week to handle injuries and the inevitable
heat exhaustion or dehydration cases. Water Buffalo coolers were
also stationed around the field to keep players healthy. The event
even featured a robust trade show, with industry heavyweights Draxxus,
Kee Action Sports, Smart Parts, Tippmann, BT Paintball, and more joined
by a host of smaller vendors.